Cross the Universe
by andthestarsshine
Summary: A one-shot following the events at the end of Win. Gwen and Aeson get a little more time to enjoy being together and to start the process of dealing with everything that's happened immediately after the Grail Games are over. Spoilers for Win! [AesonxGwen]


Author's Note: So I just finished Win and waiting until late 2018/early 2019 for Survive feels like _forever_ , so I needed to manage my withdrawal symptoms somehow. If you're in the same boat as me, I hope you enjoy this! After all the stress these  
two went through, I wanted to give Aeson and Gwen a little more time together, and this is what came out.

Disclaimer: This fanfic is based on and inspired by The Atlantis Grail series by Vera Nazarian. All characters are hers, and I'm grateful to play in her universe a little bit!

* * *

"Let them come," Aeson Kasseiopei, my Bridegroom, _im amrevu_ tells me, squeezing his strong arms around me, drawing me to his heart. "This time, with all of you here with us, Earth and Atlantis, together we will win." –Win, by Vera Nazarian

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I take a deep, shuddering breath and soak up his warmth, the feel of his arms holding me tightly to his chest, and allow his words to calm my racing mind. As I regain my focus, I realize that we are still standing next to the dais in the Atlantis  
Grail stadium field. We are far enough removed from the other runners-up and the judges for our conversation to be unheard, but we are observed by hundreds of thousands of people.

Grail fans in the stands are still reeling from the earthquake I caused when I used my Logos power voice to wrench the Grail Monument from the foundation, which turned out to be the Imperial Ark-Ship from Ancient Atlantis. Aeson's father, the Imperator,  
has recovered from his shock and I can see him speaking and gesturing forcefully with the Priests of the Grail who rushed to his side once the ground stopped shaking.

I feel Aeson's arms loosen around me and look up to see him glancing toward the Imperial Box where I am staring.

"Quickly, Gwen," he says, "Come with me."

He grabs my hand in his and pulls me away from the dais where the other runners-up still stand, waiting to receive their tie-breaking tasks and find out who will become the last two Champions. I barely have time to wonder what Chihar Agwath and Lolu  
Eetatu's final tasks will be and if they will be victorious before we are moving away from them and picking up speed.

Aeson's grasp on my fingers is tight, almost painful, as he draws me after him to an opening in the stadium wall near us. His strides are long, and I can see a feverish light in his deep blue eyes as I almost run to keep up with him. The Atlantean  
guards at the doorway must also see that their Imperial Crown Prince is not someone they want to challenge for his right-of-way at the moment, and they scramble to salute us as we fly past them into the dimness of the hallway.

The respite from the bright rays of Hel is a welcome relief to my eyes, despite the comfortable protective contact lenses I have worn for the duration of the Games. I don't recognize the area we are moving through under the Grail stadium, but Aeson  
obviously knows where we are going as we turn corner after corner.

It begins to sink in exactly how exhausted I am, physically, emotionally, mentally, everything, now that the ordeal of the Games is finally over, and I stumble as I catch the edge of my shoe on the floor. Aeson immediately turns to steady me, his  
hands catching my shoulders and his expression full of concern.

" _Im amrevu_ , I am so sorry," he murmurs as his eyes scan my body for injury or pain. Incidentally, his close scrutiny of all of me sends a rush of heat to my face, and I am suddenly very aware of every cell in my body, every inch of my skin  
screaming to get closer to him.

"Aeson, I'm fine. Really. I hardly tripped." My voice sounds a little breathy when I attempt to reassure him.

The intensity with which he stares at me, an answering flush rising in his own face, tells me I'm not alone in my awareness.

"I know you must be tired, and I want nothing more for you right now than to rest and recover from all you have been through. However, I want to get us out of this place, out of the city before my father has a chance to act and do anything to detain  
you or worse. I need to know that you are finally safe with me."

I can hear the determination and even desperation in his voice as Aeson glances up and down the hallway where we are stopped. Knowing the Imperator has already done so many things to hurt me, even hiring assassins to kill me during the Games, I have  
no desire to give him another chance to keep me here another second.

"Yes, I understand. Let's just get home, and you can fuss over me all you want when we get there," I try to infuse a sense of lightness in my voice to reassure him, and am rewarded with a warm smile.

"Home. I like to hear you say that," My Bridegroom's tone is soft and full of wonder, as if he, too, is beginning to grasp the hope that we can now actually create a life together.

He releases my shoulders and reaches out to take my hand again, his hold on my fingers less like an iron vise but still resolute, and we continue to make our way away from the action in the stadium's field. He speaks softly into his wrist comm unit  
as we go, but I can't make out the words. We pass guards and Atlantis Grail workers as we go, but no one dares to stop us.

Finally, we burst into a parking garage filled with hover cars. It must be an exclusive parking area, I think, because though every spot is filled, there are only 50 cars or so in it. Aeson guides me toward his familiar silver-grey car and opens the  
door to what I now think of as my side.

He reaches around me after I sit and fastens the safety harness around me, his hands igniting my body wherever they touch me. He crosses around the front of the car and slides into his own seat, singing a tone sequence to power the vehicle on and  
manipulating the dashboard touch commands to get us out of a barely noticeable hum, the hover car rises and we are smoothly gliding out into the open air of Poseidon.

My thoughts are still reeling with everything that I have not yethad a chance to process, including Aeson's shocking revelations, Zaap's death, concern for Chihar and Lolu, the amazing fact that I can communicate with pegasei, the trauma of  
the Games, the reality that I _won_ and am _alive_ , but a small corner of my brain takes note of the practically empty skies and streets of Atlantis's capital city.

"It's like a ghost town," I state in wonder. "There's not any traffic at all!"

Aeson nods. "They're all at the stadium or in their homes. Except for a few unlucky ones who are absolutely required to work to keep the city running, almost without exception, the entire population of Poseidon is glued to the final events and outcome  
of the Games," he says.

We seem to fly faster than normal toward Phoinios Heights, and I see Aeson's—our—estate house rise quickly into view. In no time, we have landed and are walking across the landing field toward the door.

I briefly wonder what happened to my equipment bag and all of the tools and technology that was left somewhere in the transport shuttle or the arena, but am distracted by the sight of Thebet Obwai, the steward of the estate, as well as what appears  
to be every single other servant of the home standing in the entry way, silently staring at us. At me, I realize, and I am taken aback when they all bow their heads and offer me the formal salute of the Imperial family.

"My Imperial Lord and Lady," Thebet says, "It is our honor to welcome you home. On behalf of the entire staff, please allow me to offer our sincere congratulations on your triumph as Champion of the Atlantis Grail, my Lady."

His eyes meet mine and are suspiciously bright, and I feel my throat tighten with emotion as I realize how much he and the other servants seemto care that I am safely returned. Whether it is on my behalf or because they care about the Imperial  
Crown Prince and know how much I mean to him, I don't know, but it warms my heart either way.

"I thank you all for your welcome and kind words," I manage to get out, smiling at each face looking at me with a mixture of amazement and joy. Aeson also thanks them warmly, and places his hand on my back as we walk through the gathered staff members  
and make our way toward the bedrooms.

"I thought you might like to shower before anything else," Aeson tells me, opening the door to my room.

I take in the familiar view of my bed, the beautiful view out of the windows, my few belongings and books stacked neatly on the dresser in the corner, and can only nod, a lump rising in my throat at being in this place that I thought I would never  
see again.

"I will wait for you in there," he tells me, gesturing to the door between our rooms. "If you need anything, please call for me, but feel free to take your time."

I nod again, and I know he can tell I am emotional but he is allowing me space to deal with it on my own for a moment. I'm grateful for that consideration, and with a gentle kiss on my forehead, he walks through the door to his bedroom.

I gather a set of comfortable clothes and step into the bathroom, closing the door behind me and starting the shower. I peel off my uniform and the body armor underneath. As soon as the water is warm, I step into the spray and begin to soap up my  
hair and body, washing away the dirt and salt and everything else that is covering me from the last four days of living on Benben Island.

When I reach for more shampoo, I see the stain of something darker in my fingernails, and I realize that it is Zaap's blood, left from when I dragged him out of the water and onto the beach and tried to help him. That thought is all it takes to shatter  
the fragile defenses holding back the impact of the terrible things I have experienced in the last month.

Tears fill my eyes and sobs rack my body as I weep for the tragic loss of life and the unfairness that so many sacrificed everything for the chance at a better life. I cry until I can't anymore and vow to do everything I can to make the dreams of  
those who did not succeed, did not live, come true.

Pulling myself together as best I can, I shut off the water and dry myself with a fluffy towel. I put on the soft pants and shirt I chose, and stare at the thin, sunburnt girl in the foggy mirror. Her blue eyes are haunted and slightly puffy, but  
something about being clean again gives me the strength to take a breath and choose to live life.

It may be difficult at times, and I may never be able to fully forget the horrors I've seen, but I will do the best I can to put the pieces of myself back together and become a better person thanks to what I've been through, and I will ask for help  
if I need it. It's what Zaap would want, and it's the only way I know of that will let me make a difference in the world and create the positive change I know need to happen.

True to his word, Aeson is waiting for me when I peek through the doorway into his room. He sits on the edge of his bed, head down and staring at the floor. I must make some small sound, because he looks up immediately and rises to his feet. He crosses  
the short distance between us with a few long strides and suddenly he's right there, his powerful presence overwhelming my senses and soothing me. His eyes are soft and tender as he lifts his fingers to my face, brushing them across my cheekbone  
so delicately that a shudder runs through me.

"I heard you in the bathroom," he whispers, and I can see concern in the slight tightening between his brows and around his mouth. "Tell me what I can do to help _, im amrevu_. I would cross the universe for you and bring you whatever you need."

The raw, pure love shining in his lapis-blue gaze melts any last tension from my emotional moment in the shower. Despite the terrible things I've seen and lived through in the past four weeks, absolute joy and gratefulness that I get to call this  
amazing man mine floods through me. I lean my head into his chest and wrap my arms around him, feeling his muscular back under my fingers and smelling the rich musk scent of him.

"You already have, Aeson," I tell him. "You brought yourself to me."

We stand like that, just holding each other and soaking in the moment, until I realize that I'm hearing what sounds like several voices all talking at once somewhere in the house. I lift my head and look toward the door.

"What is that? Is someone here?" I question.

The corners of Aeson's lips lift in a small smile. "It is possible that there are visitors who simply could not wait another second to see you, so I suppose I will have to share you sooner than later," he says in a teasing tone.

"Who—," my ears pick up a familiar voice from the murmur, then another. "Gracie? Gordie?!"

I whirl toward the door and fling it open, rushing to the large open living area and nearly stop dead when I see the crowd gathered there talking amongst themselves. Conversation stops when I round the corner. All of my friends are there—Laronda,  
Hazmik, Chiyoko, Blayne, Dawn—and Aeson's friends, now mine, too—Oalla, Xelio, Keruvat, Erita—and in the middle of them all are my brother and sister.

"Gwen!" Gracie cries and launches herself at me, and we collide in a tangle of arms and hair and tears. "You won! You won!" She repeats and we squeeze each other so tightly I think I might crack a rib. "I knew you could do it!"

Looking up past Gracie's shoulder, I see Gordie right behind her, smiling at me and pushing his smudged glasses up his nose.

"Way to go, Gee Two," he says in typical calm Gordie-fashion, and he pats my shoulder his usual embarrassment with physical affection, I reach out and grab him to me, hugging him and Gracie at the same time.

"I'm so, so happy to see you both," I exclaim. "I was so worried when I couldn't see you after Stage Two and Three!"

" _You_ were worried!" Gracie says. "You were the one dealing with hallucinatory drugs and poison smoke! Of course we wanted to see you, but you absolutely had to rest as much as possible," she states firmly.

Gordie nods as he slithers out of the Lark group hug. "We knew the CP would take good care of you," he says, nodding toward Aeson, who I can tell is close behind me from the electric tingle I get whenever he's near.

"Okay, okay, let me in here!" Laronda's voice brings my focus back to the group in front of me, and she pushes past Gordie to wrap me in a huge hug. "You were amazing, girlfriend!" Hazmik and Dawn are right behind her, and I see Chiyoko and Blayne  
hanging back from the hug but still near me.

"I can't believe you had to swim with sharks!"

"What was it like to ride a pegasus?"

"Gwen, _janik,_ I almost had a heart attack when that assassin pulled a knife on you!"

"That was nasty, all those little disgusting leeches! Ugh!"

"I'm still cracking up thinking about you pulling Sarpanit Latao's pants down! Please tell me that was on purpose!"

All their voices blend together in an excited chorus, and I can only laugh and squeeze them to me, so glad that they are here. Soon I'm passed between the _astra daimon_ as well, receiving hugs and slaps on the back, along with congratulations  
and admiration for various feats during the Games.

"Well done, Shoelace Girl," Xel grins at me.

"I'm honored to have been your instructor in the Yellow Quadrant weapons," Oalla smiles. "As always, you were incredibly creative and used your nets and cords so well!" Keruvat just beams at her side, teeth bright against his dark skin, while Erita  
pulls me in for another hug.

"Thank you, everyone! I can't believe you're all here. How did you all get here so fast? The final ceremony wasn't close to finished when we ran out of there, and traffic had to be horrible afterwards!" I'm shaking my head and trying to wrap my mind  
around it, and staring at this beautiful group of people who care so much about me.

"Oh, that was thanks to your Imperial loverboy over there," Laronda quips. "He sent a message to these all-star pilots here about where you were headed and they got us all out of that stadium right after you took off before things got cray-cray."

I turn to find Aeson smiling down at me from a few feet away and attempt to communicate how thankful I am that he was thoughtful enough, even in his focused determination to get out of there, to gather everyone together for me. The warm regard in  
his gaze tells me that he understands what I'm trying to show him in my own eyes. He tears his eyes from mine and looks around our closest circle of friends.

"If you would all like to stay for a late _dea_ meal, we would love to have you, but after that, I'm afraid I must force my Imperial Bride to rest for as long as she needs to."

Of course, everyone stays and begins to settle into places on the sofas, chairs, and the floor. Gracie tucks herself into my side on the couch, and I notice Blayne hovers nearby on his board. I make a mental note to ask her how things are going there  
later, but am quickly distracted by the delicious smells coming from the platters of food the house staff is bringing into the room.

The next half hour is filled with amazing food and happy conversation, everyone talking about highlights from the Games or our shared journey through space over the past year and none of the sad parts. Aeson is on my other side and we take turns reminding  
each other to eat as we all enjoy each other's company. It is hard to describe how incredible it feels to actually relax and just be happy after so long under a cloud of despair and uncertainty.

I push aside any thoughts that try to intrude on this happy time with friends and family, and finally I'm stuffed to the point that I can't eat another bite. I lean back on the couch and find myself tucked under Aeson's arm, his soft golden hair tickling  
my cheeks and neck.

"How are you feeling?" he murmurs, and the sensation of his warm breath on my skin sends a tingle of awareness through my otherwise exhausted body.

"Oh, I'm feeling gr—" my answer is interrupted by a huge yawn that threatens to crack my jaw and gives me away.

"I know you don't want everyone to leave, but you must sleep, _im amrevu,_ " he responds. "They will return to see you again as soon as you are ready. I'm sure they will show up whether or not I tell them to. If you would like, I can have rooms  
prepared for your siblings to stay here tonight, as well."

"Oh, yes! That would be wonderful," I tell him.

He nods and stands up to go make the arrangements. At his movement, the others begin to stretch and stand, gathering themselves to make the trip back to the city and promising to visit again soon.

"Tomorrow, if I can get troll boy to drive us here," Laronda says.

"I'm sure that won't be a problem," Dawn tells her. "As into the Games as he's been, Anu will jump at the chance to see Gwen now that she's a Champion. Maybe he'll even be polite!"

"Yeah, right," I snort. "Then he wouldn't be the Anu we all know and Laronda loves."

'What?!" Laronda flushes, though it's hardly visible beneath her dark skin. "I don't think so," she counters. "That boy is rude, crude, and all attitude."

"Oookay," I say with another yawn, "whatever you say."

Gracie giggles next to me, and I ask her and Gordie if they want to stay the night here. They both agree immediately, and I assure them that there are plenty of extra clothes and toiletries for them to use. Aeson returns to the room and offers me  
a hand to stand up from my comfy spot on the sofa.

We say goodbye to everyone together, and then show Gracie and Gordie to their guest rooms. I consider asking Gracie if she wants to have a sleepover in my bed, but decide not to, in case I wake her up with a nightmare or something. Besides, the sun  
is barely setting, and they may not be ready to sleep just yet.

"I love you both so much," I tell them as I give them a good night hug. "Thank you for being there for me. It helped me keep going to know that you were watching and rooting me on."

"Well, yeah, Gee Two," Gracie says. "You're our big sister and we're always on your side."

"Hopefully, being on my side will be a little less stressful from now on," I answer her, and Gordie nods. "Now if you need anything, just come get me or tell Thebet, and we'll get it for you. There should be plenty of food in the fridge downstairs,  
so if you're hungry tonight, you can go grab whatever you want. And don't worry about making noise in the morning because I want to be up and—" 

"Okay, okay, big sis. We got it!" Gordie cuts off my rambling with a grin and a good-naturedeye roll.

They disappear into their rooms after one last hug from Gracie and a ruffle for Gordie's hair, and Aeson and I head down the hallway toward our sleeping quarters. He goes into his room, and I go into the bathroom to get ready to sleep. When I come  
out, teeth brushed and face washed in a soft nightshirt, he's waiting at the edge of my bed.

Now that we are alone again, all thoughts of being tired fall straight out of my head as I take him in. His dark shirt clings to his toned torso and my eyes trace the way his loose pants skim his narrow hips down his legs down to lightly bronzed skin  
of his bare feet. My mouth feels dry when I look back up and meet his deep blue eyes with their exotic dark lining drinking me in with the same hunger and heat I know is reflected in my own.

My blood hammers in my temples with the knowledge that Aeson Kassiopei desires me, and it's hard to breathe. It's like my bones are melting into a puddle of goo, and I'm suddenly feeling shy and not sure what to do.

"Gwen," he whispers, and his voice is deep and rough. He takes a step towards me, and with his lithe grace and long, golden hair, I can't help but be reminded of a lion, stalking its prey. I tremble a little, not from fear but from _want._ I  
want something, anything, _everything_ , as long as it's from _him_.

As if he can read my thoughts, Aeson takes another step and closes the distance between our bodies. My hands rise up without conscious thought to rest on his chest, and he covers them with his own palms and presses them closer.

"Gwen," he says again, and hearing my name on his lips undoes me.

I stretch up and press my mouth to his, and he meets my lips with a passion that burns me and drowns me at the same time. I open to his tongue pressing in to dance with mine and somehow my hands are now in his hair, tugging on the pale strands that  
are the softest silk in my fingers. His moan fills me, its vibration shaking me to the core, and I can feel his hands roam down my shoulders, my back, my sides as he clutches me to him. Every inch of my skin is alive, a live wire transmitting  
so much sensation that my brain is fried from the overload.

We break apart, panting, foreheads leaning against one another and I can see nothing but his beautiful lapis lazuli eyes staring into mine.

"Wow," is all I can get out, and even that sounds breathless.

His mouth twitches with amusement. Yeah, I know. For once, Gwen Lark, the one who always has something to say, is leans his head down and presses his lips to my throat, right against my racing pulse, and I hear a strangled noise  
which, embarrassingly, I realize came out of my own mouth.

"As much as I would love to feast on you all night," blood rushes to flood my face at his words and I can feel his warm breath stirring the hair at my neck, giving me goosebumps, "You must rest, Gwen." The rush of intense feeling begins to ebb, and  
I can feel myself sag just a bit against his strong arms.

"I wish I could argue with you, but I think you're right," I sigh. "But—" I use a stern voice that brings his gaze back to mine, his expression expectant. "—you have to promise me that we'll pick this back up where we left off." I give a lock of his  
hair a quick pull, and he sucks in a breath.

" _Amrevu,"_ he says. _Beloved._ "You will have to beg me to stop."

Holy crap. My lungs stop working for a moment, and only the feel of his arms scooping me up and laying me gently in my bed reminds them to start again. He bends to press his lips to my forehead and turns to go to his room when I reach out and grab  
his sleeve.

"Aeson," I begin hesitantly. "Will you—I mean, I know the Imperial rules of conduct don't permit it before we're married, but just tonight will you stay with me? Just to sleep?" I add quickly, ready to protest if he objects about me needing to rest  
without any disturbance.

To my surprise, there is no hesitation as he lifts the covers and slides his powerful body down next to mine. "Whatever you need," he says. "I am very tired of saying goodbye to you, after all," and my Bridegroom gathers me into his arms so my head  
is tucked into his chest under his chin, and I am surrounded by his warmth and his scent.

He sings a tone sequence to turn the lights off in the room and we are cocooned together in the dark, holding each other.I listen to the strong rhythm of his heartbeat and feel my eyes drift closed, unable to fight my exhaustion.

Before I slip away completely, I whisper, "Nefero niktos, Aeson. I love you."

"I love you, too, _im amrevu_. Now sleep."

And I do.


End file.
